A Moscow man trying to collect every VHS copy of ‘Speed’ launches him to fame

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»Play VideoGood Morning America and NPR are trying to get an interview with Ryan Beitz.

MOSCOW, ID - A Moscow man became an internet sensation this week after an online article was published about his very interesting collection.

Reporter Rachel Dubrovin introduces us to Ryan Beitz and explains why everyone's talking about his "Need for Speed."

"Every single copy," said World Speed Project Chairman Ryan Beitz.

Ryan Beitz is a University of Idaho graduate who's getting ready to go to grad school.

"Come get on the bus…" said Beitz. "Every now and then if I'm feeling like 'spicy' I'll say, 'My name is Ryan Beitz and I have 500 copies of the movie Speed on VHS.'"

Beitz said he started collecting VHS copies of the movie in 2007.

"I was at a pawn shop with a friend of mine," said Beitz.

He said he bought six at once....and decided to keep going. He created "The World Speed Project" with the intention of collecting every copy ever made.

"I got 13 more yesterday," said Beitz. "I would say there's probably close to like 550."

Beitz said it's been a side project for years. But he was launched into the spotlight this week when he was featured in an online magazine called "Vice".

"This is what people call 15-minutes of fame," said Beitz. "Good Morning America, like NPR, just like everything is like harassing me for an interview. It's like so bizarre."

Beitz is actually raising money so he can make this van look like the one on the movie

"So that way, when we roll into people's towns to collect copies of Speed, they know who's coming," said Beitz.

Fixing up this beater won't be cheap, but Beitz is confident he'll reach his fundraising goal.

"Now that I'm famous, like literally every five minutes I get an email saying somebody just donated anywhere from a dollar to $100 dollars" said Beitz.

And while he’s thankful for the support, he said the World Speed Project is about getting people to appreciate the impractical.

"You should just enjoy it, or hate it," said Beitz. "In fact, I would prefer that you hate it because it's more interesting then."

You can learn more about the World Speed Project by searching for it on Facebook, or look for the link on our website, klewtv.com. He's raising money for his bus renovation through an online "Kick Starter" account. His goal is to raise $2,500, and he's about halfway there.